The term Kaurava is a Sanskrit

Sanskrit

Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...

 term, that means the descendants of Kuru, a legendary king who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the Mahābhārata

Mahabharata

The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....

.

The term is used in the Mahābhārata with two meanings:

• The wider meaning, to represent all the descendants of Kuru. This meaning, which includes the Pandava
  Pandava
  In the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Pandava are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu , by his two wives Kunti and Madri. Their names are Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Although, Karna is told by Lord Krishna that according to the laws and ethics he is the first son of Kunti making...
  
   brothers, is often used in the earlier parts of popular renditions of the Mahābhārata.
• The narrower but more common meaning, to represent the elder line of the descendants of King Kuru. This restricts it to the children of King Dhritarashtra
  Dhritarashtra
  In the Mahābhārata, Dhritarashtra was King of Hastinapur at the time of the Kurukshetra War, the epic's climactic event. He was born the son of Vichitravirya's first wife Ambika, and was fathered by Vyasa. He was blind from birth, and became father to a hundred children by his wife Gandhari...
  
  , as his line is the older line of descent from Kuru. It excludes the children of the younger brother Pandu
  Pandu
  In the Mahābhārata epic, King Pandu is the son of Ambalika and Rishi Ved Vyasa. He is more popularly known as the father of the Pandavas and ruled Hastinapur.-Birth:...
  
  , who founds his own line, the Pandava
  Pandava
  In the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Pandava are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu , by his two wives Kunti and Madri. Their names are Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Although, Karna is told by Lord Krishna that according to the laws and ethics he is the first son of Kunti making...
  
  .

The rest of this article deals with the Kaurava in the narrower sense, that is the children of Dhritarashtra by Gandhari

Gandhari (character)

Gāndhārī is a character in the Hindu epic, the Mahābhārata. In the epic, she was an incarnation of Mati, as the daughter of Subala, the king of Gandhara, or the modern Kandahar, a region spanning northwestern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan, from which her name is derived...

. When referring to these, a more specific term is also frequently encountered - , a derivative of (Dhritarashtra).

According to the standard texts, Gandhari wanted a hundred sons, and Vyasa

Vyasa

Vyasa is a central and revered figure in most Hindu traditions. He is also sometimes called Veda Vyasa , or Krishna Dvaipayana...

 granted her a boon that she would have these. Another version says that she was unable to have any children for a long time and she eventually became pregnant, but did not deliver for two years, after which she gave birth to a lump of flesh. Vyasa cut this lump into a hundred and one pieces, and these eventually developed into a hundred boys and one girl.

This story should be read in view of the dispute over the succession to the throne of the kingdom. It attributes a late birth to Duryodhana

Duryodhana

In the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari, the eldest of the one hundred Kaurava brothers, Emperor of the world at that time which means Emperor of India or Bharatvarsha as it was known at that time, cousin and the chief...

, the eldest son of Dhritarashtra, despite his father's early marriage. This legitimises the case for his cousin Yudhisthira

Yudhisthira

In the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira , the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, was king of Indraprastha and later of Hastinapura. He was the leader of the Pandava side in the Kurukshetra War...

 to claim the throne, since he could claim to be the eldest of his generation.

Although all hundred sons have been named, only the first few are normally mentioned in the Mahābhārata. The first five are:

• Duryodhana
  Duryodhana
  In the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari, the eldest of the one hundred Kaurava brothers, Emperor of the world at that time which means Emperor of India or Bharatvarsha as it was known at that time, cousin and the chief...
  
  
• Dushasana
  Dushasana
  Dushasana was the second son of the blind king Dhritarashtra and Gandhari in the epic Mahābhārata, and the younger brother of Duryodhana.-Birth and development:...
  
  
• Dussala (daughter)
• Jalagandha
• Sama

All the sons of Dhritarashtra excluding Yuyutsu (born of Dhritarashtra's marriage with a Vaysya woman, thus a step brother of Duryodhana) were killed in the great battle at Kurukshetra

Kurukshetra

Kurukshetra is a land of historical and religious importance. Historically the land belonged to Punjab now a district in Haryana state of India. It is a holy place and is also known as Dharmakshetra . According to the Puranas, Kurukshetra is named after King Kuru, the ancestor of Kauravas and...

.

To quote from Mahabharata, Sambava Parva, Section CXV

And during the time when Gandhari was in a state of advanced pregnancy, there was a maid servant of the Vaisy class who used to attend on Dhritarashtra. During that year, O king, was begotten upon her by the illustrious Dhritarashtra a son endued with great intelligence who was afterwards named Yuvutsu. And because he was begotten by a Kshatriya upon a Vaisy woman, he was subject to the constant taunts of the Kaurava.

"Thus were born unto the wise Dhritarashtra

- a hundred sons who were all heroes and mighty chariot-fighters, and

- a daughter over and above the hundred, and

- another son Yuyutsu

Yuyutsu

Yuyutsu in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, was the only son of Dhritarashtra who survived the Kurukshetra war.Fearing problems with Gandhari's pregnancy which had continued for over a year, Dhritrashtra married a woman from Vaisya Varna, from whom he bore a son, Yuyutsu...

of great energy and prowess begotten upon a Vaisya woman.'"

The Kauravas

1. Duryodhana
2. Dussaasana
3. Dussaha
4. Dussalan
5. Jalagandha
6. Sama
7. Saha
8. Vindha
9. Anuvindha
10. Durdharsha
11. Subaahu
12. Dushpradharsha
13. Durmarshana
14. Durmukha
15. Dushkarna
16. Vikarna
17. Sala
18. Sathwan
19. Sulochan
20. Chithra
21. Upachithra
22. Chithraaksha
23. Chaaruchithra
24. Saraasana
25. Durmada
26. Durvigaaha
27. Vivilsu
28. Vikatinanda
29. Oornanaabha
30. Sunaabha
31. Nanda
32. Upananda
33. Chithrabaana
34. Chithravarma
35. Suvarma
36. Durvimocha
37. Ayobaahu
38. Mahabaahu
39. Chithraamga
40. Chithrakundala
41. Bheemavega
42. Bheemabela
43. Vaalaky
44. Belavardhana
45. Ugraayudha
46. Sushena
47. Kundhaadhara
48. Mahodara
49. Chithraayudha
50. Nishamgy
51. Paasy
52. Vrindaaraka
53. Dridhavarma
54. Dridhakshathra
55. Somakeerthy
56. Anthudara
57. Dridhasandha
58. Jaraasandha
59. Sathyasandha
60. Sadaasuvaak
61. Ugrasravas
62. Ugrasena
63. Senaany
64. Dushparaaja
65. Aparaajitha
66. Kundhasaai
67. Visaalaaksha
68. Duraadhara
69. Dridhahastha
70. Suhastha
71. Vaathavega
72. Suvarcha
73. Aadithyakethu
74. Bahwaasy
75. Naagadatha
76. Ugrasaai
77. Kavachy
78. Kradhana
79. Kundhy
80. Bheemavikra
81. Dhanurdhara
82. Veerabaahu
83. Alolupa
84. Abhaya
85. Dhridhakarmaavu
86. Dhridharathaasraya
87. Anaadhrushya
88. Kundhabhedy
89. Viraavy
90. Chithrakundala
91. Pradhama
92. Amapramaadhy
93. Deerkharoma
94. Suveeryavaan
95. Dheerkhabaahu
96. Sujaatha
97. Kaanchanadhwaja
98. Kundhaasy
99. Virajass
100. Yuyutsu
101. Dussala (Daughter)

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